Laura Vaughan and Liam Byrne
Credit: Albert Comper
Program
ORLANDO GIBBONS (ca 1583-1623) Fantasia a 2 No 5
MONSIEUR DE SAINTE-COLOMBE (fl. 1670s) Concert III Le Tendre from Concerts concerts à deux violes esgales
[Ouverture] Le Tendre - Sarabande du Tendre - Gavote la Ferme - Menuet du Tendre
LAURA VAUGHAN (b. 1978) The Velvet Deep
WILLIAM BYRD (1643-1623) Ne Irascaris
MATTHEW LOCKE (1621-1677) Suite in C from The Consort in Two Parts for Several Friends
Fantasia - Fantasia - Saraband
M. DE SAINTE-COLOMBE Concert XLIV ‘Les Regrets’ from Concerts concerts à deux violes esgales
Tombeau Les Regrets - Quarillon - Les Pleurs - Joye des Elizées - Les Elizées
ALICE CHANCE (b.1994) Dovetail - A Sonic Poem (World Premiere)
About the artists
“Byrne has done more than perhaps any living performer to drag the viol out of the musty early-music attic”
– The New York Times
“Laura Vaughan’s luscious depth of sound resonates across the centuries”
– ClassikON
Liam Byrne spends most of his time playing either very old or very new music on the viola da gamba. An obsession with the instrument’s most obscure 16th and 17th century repertoire is a recurring theme in his work, whether in devising baroque performance installations for the Victoria & Albert Museum or in creating new electronic works with Icelandic composer Valgeir Sigurðsson. Liam’s solo performances frequently combine old viol music with new works written for him by composers such as David Lang, Nico Muhly, and Edmund Finnis, among many others. He was awarded the prestigious Glenn Gould Bach Fellowship in 2024.
Melbourne-based viola da gamba specialist Laura Vaughan is one of Australia’s most engaging and expressive early music performers. Known for her vivid musicianship and warm stage presence, she has become a dynamic voice within the country’s early music scene. After studies with Miriam Morris at the University of Melbourne and with Wieland Kuijken and Philippe Pierlot at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Laura forged a vibrant performing career across Australasia. A versatile musician, she moves fluently between the viola da gamba, violone, lirone, and baryton, performing an expansive repertoire that spans centuries.
Thank you
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.
